Cardboard Dreams
by Rising Sun et al
Summary: Miss Parker goes to a class reunion.


The Challenge as presented at the Fan Fiction Challenge at   
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ffchallange/  
  
Title: Cardboard Dreams  
By Melanie-Anne  
E-mail: melani_anne@yahoo.com  
  
Rated: R  
  
Challenge: The idea was to send Miss Parker to her class   
reunion. Jarod would be there without her knowledge and he'd   
have introduced himself to everyone as her boyfriend. Oh, and   
Eve wanted him in a tux *drool*  
  
Author's Notes: Anyway, onto the story. I don't think it's   
graphic enough to warrant an NC-17 rating so I'm gonna go   
ahead and say R, just to be safe.  
  
*You have been warned* LOL  
  
Mel ;-))  
  
PS There's a line in here just for you 'musketeers'. See if you   
can spot it LOL.  
  
Oh, and I know you're all waiting for the next part of my other   
story but you'll have to wait a little bit longer 'cuz I'm going on   
holiday for 2 weeks *yay* I'll do my best to get it typed &   
posted by Friday but I'm not promising anything.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, never said I did.   
Although if I did own them I'd take much better care of them   
than the people who do own them.  
Enough grumbling…this is a response to Eve's reunion   
challenge.  
==============================  
My life is so sad. Here I am on a Saturday night - home alone. I   
haven't been out, never mind on a date for…oh, I don't even   
know how long.  
There are actually two places I could be tonight. One is a   
school reunion. Can you spell BORING? I got the invitation a   
week ago and decided then already that I wouldn't be going. I   
didn't like those people when I was in school, why should I   
pretend to like them now?  
My other option is a dinner party for some new clients Daddy   
is courting. I am not in the mood to be nice to a group of   
power-hungry megalomaniacs. Someone should do the world a   
favor and send an assassin to the party. All our problems would   
be solved….  
I laugh. I can't believe I just thought that! If they could read my   
mind I'd be dead right now. Not such an unappealing thought.  
You know, I used to wonder what it would be like to have a   
normal life. The whole 'picket fence, two point five kids and a   
dog' thing. What's worse, I used to include Jarod in that picture.  
I don't think like that anymore. I can't.  
Broots has more of a social life than I do. How pathetic is that?   
And I'll bet anything that even the lab rat has plans for tonight.  
Enough of this self-pity! I am going to go out. Not to my   
father's dinner party. I can't stomach the idea of being around   
those ghouls more than I have to be. Maybe there'll be some   
interesting men at this reunion. People change in twenty years.   
Boys grow into men. Some boys grow into beautiful men.  
So I'm lonely. So what? Anyone I've tried to have a meaningful   
life with is either dead or on the run.  
Whoa! Watch those thoughts, Parker.  
It's settled then. I'll get dressed up, go to the stupid reunion and   
I will have a good time.  
*  
I'm here. And I feel…no, not nervous. I don't get nervous, don't   
be stupid.  
As I look around the room and recognize a few faces I feel   
myself starting to relax. This isn't so bad, I tell myself.  
Who am I trying to fool? I haven't spoken to any of these   
people since I graduated. It's difficult trying to maintain   
friendships outside of the Centre. But then, what do you expect   
when you sell your soul to the devil?  
You want to know what Satan looks like? Take a look at my   
father, or Lyle, or Raines. Evil comes in many forms, and all   
that talk of good overcoming evil is rubbish. My mother was   
good, look where that got her.  
Your mother's murder leaves one hell of an impression. The   
lesson I learnt was to never ever do anything against the   
Centre. Don't, for one second, show you have a heart. I think   
I'm doing okay. Except that I'm cursed with a conscience. It's   
my mother's voice and sometimes I feel like I'm going mad.  
These people look so normal it's sickening. I don't think I'd   
even know where to begin pretending to be normal.  
Ha ha! Get it? Pretend…oh, never mind.  
I catch a glimpse of…no, can't be. See, I am going mad. Jarod   
isn't the only guy with a back like that, or that specific shade of   
hair that curls just so-  
Parker! What is wrong with you? I catch myself just in time.   
It's no use going down that road again. When my father first   
put me on the search for Jarod I used to think that I saw him   
everywhere. It would have been funny if it weren't so   
annoying.  
I need a drink. Where- oh, there's the bar. Before I make it   
there I'm intercepted by Susan. She hasn't changed a bit. Still as   
annoying and false as ever.  
"Parker! It's so good to see you! I'm so glad you made it. You   
never RSVP'd," she says, all in one breath.  
"Really? It must have slipped my mind."  
"You must tell me everything," she gushes. I wish I'd thought   
to bring my gun. But I suppose it's in bad taste to go around   
shooting your old classmates at a high school reunion, even if   
they deserve to be shot. Oh, and I lied, she has changed. She's   
picked up a few pounds and I smile sweetly as she stares   
enviously at me. One good thing about having a stomach ulcer   
is that I'm hardly ever hungry. And I suppose all my training   
and continuously running after Jarod has kept me in shape.  
"Oh, if I told you everything, I'd have to kill you," I say with a   
smile. If only she knew how true that was. I can see she doesn't   
believe me because she laughs and flips her hair over her   
shoulder in a gesture that is no less annoying now than it was at   
school.  
"You never did like talking about yourself, did you, Parker?"  
I smile.  
"I married a doctor," she says.  
Ooh, a doctor. How exciting. My lover was murdered. Beat   
that. "That's…nice."  
"We've got two children, they're both at the top of their class   
and we're hoping…."  
If I had children, especially if they were Jarod's children, there   
IQ's would be unmeasurable so shut up you stupid, self-  
satisfied bitch.  
"Excuse me, Susan, I see someone I need to speak to." I make   
my escape but before I'm free I hear her shout, "I met your   
husband, by the way!"  
Husband?  
What is this? The Twilight Zone?  
"He's a handsome guy, Parker. I'm happy for you," she   
continues.  
"My husband?"  
She nods.  
"Oh, I seem to have lost him. Where did you see him?"  
She gives me a strange look but I ignore it. When I find   
whoever's pretending to be my husband I'm going to kill him   
with my bare hands. She points to a man in a white tuxedo   
jacket.  
The same man whose back I'd been admiring earlier.  
He's talking to Meghan Riley. She was the school gossip. I   
don't even want to know what he's telling her. No doubt   
everyone will know by the end of the evening.  
Gorgeous back or not, he's a dead man.  
I'm a few feet away from him when he turns so I can see his   
profile. I stop dead.  
You have got to be kidding me!  
"Jarod," I say, "where've you been all my life?" I hook my arm   
through his. "Sorry, Meg, I'm going to steal him for a bit."  
I lead him to a corner of the room. It's semi-dark so I can't see   
his face but I just know he's grinning.  
"What the hell are you doing here?"  
"I wanted to know what a high school reunion was like."  
"So you had to come to mine?"  
He shrugs. "You look lovely tonight, Parker."  
"Flattery will get you nowhere. Who are you trying to be   
anyway? James Bond?"  
He nods. "I saw all the movies recently. They're great. What do   
you think?"  
"Nice," I say before I can stop myself. Now I've done it.  
"I'm glad you approve, Miss Parker," he says huskily.  
Oh, I more than approve but there's no way in hell that I'll let   
you know. Wait a second, did we just move closer together?  
Okay, clearly we must have because we're kissing.  
He is going to die!  
So why then, am I wrapping my arms around his neck and   
pulling him closer? Who would have thought his lips were so   
soft…I run my fingers through his hair. Right now I couldn't   
care less if an army of sweepers stormed in. this was too good!  
When the kiss ends, far too soon for my liking, he smiles down   
at me. And reality comes crashing in.  
"Damn it, Jarod! That never happened."  
He's hurt and I wish I could take it back.  
"Why didn't I bring my handcuffs? I should take you in-"  
"Oh, I could think of a lot more interesting things involving   
your handcuffs," he leers.  
Are my knees weak? I can also think of many interesting   
things…. Damn, he's so sexy when he looks at me like that.  
"Jarod-" I begin but I'm cut short by the arrival of yet another   
classmate.  
"Parker! Hi!"  
"Hello, Lindsay," I say, less than enthusiastically. "Uh, this is   
Jarod."  
Her eyes widen. "The Jarod? So you did marry him. That's   
great. It's so romantic. Did you know, Jarod, that she used to   
talk about you all the time in English class? She always said   
that you were her best friend and true love. Of course, we all   
thought she made you up as an excuse not to date, but here you   
are…."  
Jarod stares at me and I'm sure I'm blushing.  
"Really, Parker? That's news."  
"Mmm." Lindsay is so lucky I'm unarmed. She moves on to   
someone else and I hold my breath, waiting for Jarod's   
inevitable comment.  
"So, Parker…best friend and true love, huh? Does Daddy   
know?"  
I glare at him and he knows that it will be dangerous to carry   
on. Do you think that phases him? Of course not.  
"So why didn't you date, Parker?"  
"Shut up!" I growl.  
"Let's dance."  
"Wipe that smirk off your face first."  
Of course, as my luck would have it, the band switches tempo   
as we reach the dance floor. And it just has to be a love song,   
doesn't it?  
"If you mention this to anyone-" I threaten.  
"It'll be our secret," he promises.  
I'm glad I decided to come. This is…nice, no, better than nice.   
I like being this close to Jarod, having his arms around me,   
resting my head on his shoulder. He smells so good. I almost   
wish it could always be like this for the two of us. Why is it   
that when we speak to each other we somehow always manage   
to end up hurting each other but when we're silent things are   
perfect? I bet if we tried hard enough, things could be more   
than perfect.  
"Why is it that the only time I'm not looking for you, I find   
you?"  
"Sometimes you look too hard."  
The slow song ends and a faster one begins but he doesn't let   
me go. I'm powerless to pull away. Is that desire I see in his   
eyes?  
"Can I kiss you again?" he asks.  
I was right! "Don't be such a gentleman about it," I say, pulling   
his head down. This kiss is almost better than the first one.  
I could lose myself in this man.  
"Let's get out of here," Jarod says.  
I'm about to agree when I realize that I'll only end up breaking   
his heart. I can't sleep with him, as much as I want to. I care   
about him too much to hurt him like that.  
"I can't, Jarod. How would I be able to go back to the Centre   
and chase you again? I wouldn't be able to take you back."  
"So don't go back. Come with me. Haven't you ever dreamed   
of a normal life?"  
I laugh. It sounds bitter to my ears. "Normal? Jarod, you and I   
are so far from normal; it's not even funny. Look around you."   
I sweep my hand, gesturing at the people around us. "These   
people are normal. Neither of us could ever live normal lives."  
"We could try. Think about it, Parker. Mr. and Mrs. Nobody.   
We could live in a small town where they'd never find us. And   
if we decided no to hide…well, the Centre wouldn't stand a   
chance against the two of us. Why do you think they've tried so   
hard to keep us apart?"  
I'll admit, the man knows how to argue a point. "Mr. and Mrs.   
Nobody, huh?"  
He nods, his eyes full of hope.  
I can't hurt him.  
"You'll get bored."  
"Never."  
"I'll drive you mad."  
"I'm mad already."  
"You'll get tired of me."  
"Wrong again. Best friend and true love, remember?"  
Oh, what the hell. It's not like I even like my life right now.   
And how can I resist him when he uses that voice?  
"Can we have a house with a picket fence?"  
"Anything."  
"And two point five children?" At his frown, I laugh.   
"Statistics. Never mind." I might as well go all the way. "What   
about a dog?"  
I don't think I've ever seen anyone look as happy as he does   
right now.  
We leave without saying goodbye to anyone and go past my   
place to pick up a few things that had belonged to my mother.   
We leave Blue Cove behind us, not once looking back. Just   
before dawn we find a motel.  
I can't believe I'm actually nervous! This is Jarod, who I've   
known all my life.  
Yeah, but now I'm really going to know him.  
We're both acting like two inexperienced teenagers, I think,   
laughing. He starts laughing too. At least now the tension is   
broken.  
I slide the jacket off his shoulders, allowing myself the luxury   
of running my hands across his chest. Very slowly, I unbutton   
his shirt and slip it off him. He makes to unzip my dress but I   
stop him. I want to look at him first. There's no rush anyway.   
We have forever.  
Naked from the waist up, he is magnificent. I lightly run my   
fingers up and down his arms and he trembles at my touch. I   
could so easily abuse the power I have over him right now but   
I'm not that cruel. Unbuckling his belt, I let his pants fall to the   
floor. He's wearing silk boxers. I slide them slowly over his   
hips.  
Wow.  
This is what I've been missing out on all those years. I've often   
wondered what Jarod would be like in bed. And I have a very   
vivid imagination…I smile. Where's that measuring tape when   
you need it?  
Wait, better make that a yardstick.  
Jarod obviously correctly interprets the look on my face   
because he asks, "Do you like what you see?"  
I nod and lick my lips which are suddenly very dry.  
"You have me at a disadvantage," he says, his eyes darker than   
usual.  
"Well, you'd better even up the odds."  
He slides my zipper down at a torturously slow speed. I'm glad   
I chose to wear a dress that didn't require me to wear a bra. I   
don't think I'd cope if he still had to take my bra off.  
I want him now.  
We lie down on the bed, his hand tracing invisible patterns on   
my stomach and thighs; he's deliberately avoiding my groin.  
Such wonderful torture….  
Neither of us can wait any longer. He slides into me with such   
ease it's as if his body was made for mine.  
My best friend and true love.  
My lover.  
My soulmate.  
This is more perfect than I had ever imagined.  
You know, the last thing I expected when I decided to go to the   
reunion was that I'd reconnect with an old friend and yet, that's   
exactly what happened. Life's funny like that. One spur of the   
moment decision and here I am, on the verge of having all my   
dreams come true.  
Thank heaven for class reunions.  
~*~  
Please send feedback to melani_anne@yahoo.com You'll   
brighten up my day. 


End file.
